Retired Burbank Cop Stops Robbery in Progress by Parolee at Sunland-Tujunga McDonald's, Kills Perp

 

This was at least the third armed robbery in the area by the same local perp, parolee Ryan William Reese, 26, of Sunland-Tujunga.

First, Mr. Reese, who was a gang member, had done 16 months for grand theft auto. After being paroled in June 2009, he graduated to armed robbery. After being paroled a second time in March 2010, Mr. Reese was now doing his graduate work in the same field. In his previous two local robberies, he'd pistol-whipped patrons, and in his last run, he assaulted at least one employee and the retired officer. (News reports claimed that Mr. Reese had done 16 months for each conviction, but that could not be the case, or he would still have been in prison. Otherwise, reporters must have gotten their sentencing and parole dates wrong. Retired parole agent Carolyn Aguirre writes that Mr. Reese's parole face sheet failed to mention that he was a gang member, and lacked vital information about other "problem areas," such as his mental health issues.)
 

The late Mr. Reese being escorted from his last work site.
 

Man Fatally Shot by Retired Cop at McDonald's ID'd as Parolee
Reese was fatally shot by a retired Burbank police officer.
Reported by Cheryl Getuiza, KTLA News
4:03 a.m. PDT, March 23, 2011

SUNLAND (KTLA) -- A robbery suspect who was shot and killed while attempting to hold up a McDonald's restaurant last week has been identified as a parolee, authorities said.

Ryan William Reese, 26, was fatally shot by a retired Burbank police officer when he tried to rob the clerks at gunpoint, according to Los Angeles police.

The shooting took place at the McDonald's on Foothill and Woodward shortly before 11 a.m., police said.

A retired Burbank police officer tried to subdue him but during the struggle, he pulled out his gun and fatally shot Reese….

The retired cop has been identified as Dennis Fischer, 63. Mr. Fischer, who received wounds to his face during the struggle, was aided by an unnamed McDonald's employee. In 33 years as a patrolman, Mr. Fischer had never used his weapon.

(Hmmm. So, McDonald's employees can struggle with a potentially deadly, gun-wielding robber, but not stop two unarmed black females?)

Something tells me that stories of retired cops who never used their service weapons on the job but who were forced to since retiring are going to become ever more frequent.